76 degrees, sunny, calm and lovely. I hiked round trip to the visitors center to hear a ranger talk on Sky Islands and watch the movie about the park. John smoked some tasso. Then I worked on my basket. Relaxing day.
Organ pipe and Senita cactus look a lot alike. Today I photographed the difference at the visitors center. The Senita have gray and white spines, some times called old man’s beard. There are fewer pleats and they are wide and flat and the top is star shaped.The organ pipe has red spines, more pleats and they are smaller and closer together. The red flowering bush is chuparosa.
These purple flowers are about 1/8 of an inch wide and grow on this plant which is about 8 inches tall. Quitobacito pupfish. They are only found in Quitobocito spring here in the park. I don’t know what this white flower is. I also don’t know the top left one either, but it grows on the plant next to it. The whole plant is about 1 1/2 inches tall. The yellow flowers are desert bladderpod.
Sunset had a few clouds. The sunset looks like a guy in the sky, see his feet and arms thrown up over his head? 80 degrees today, sunny and no wind. We went for a short hike in Alamo Canyon. John walking in.
The flowers are already blooming after the rain. John photographing a patch of phacilia. Looking up at the side of the canyon.
Organ pipe arm bud, phacilia, little lizard and brittle bush buds. Many different yellow flowers.
We hiked up to the remains of a ranch. There is a spring here, so there is water year around. John walking in the lush foliage.
Purple flower, Palmer’s pentstamen, two flowers I don’t know. We walked back along the creek bed which was wonderful with the water from the rain last weekend. Usually it is dry here. John caught a dead snake in this pool.
Yellow flowers, cool cloud, pink flowers and Palmer’s pentastamen. The water was so refreshing on an 80 degree day we took a dip.
And had lunch at this pool. Rock with cyrstals, phlox, wooley daisy and ferns.
Another cholla attacked me on my boot and ankle. Ouch. I was able to get them off with a stick, but I bought a comb in Ajo incase I run into anymore. Mallow flowers and the snake John found. it is a Lyre snake. Montezuma’s Head.
We took a drive down to the border of Mexico to check out Lukeville. Not much there. On the way back are these signs, Welcome to Arizona and Organ Pipe Cactus Parkway, scenic road. We also drove to Ajo for groceries. We passed through Why, Az, which has the Why not travel store and this pyramid. A few signs of events we will miss-the cornhole tournament, the Hemajkam run and free dancing at the Why community center. In Lukesville was the Gringo Pass motel and RV park.
Back at camp the clouds and sunset were cool.
More sunset.
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